ASDA Holds Second Annual Multicultural Night
Members of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) community came together on Monday, November 9, in the Hiebert Lounge to celebrate different cultures and traditions during the second annual Multicultural Night, which was sponsored by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of GSDM’s American Student Dental Association (GSDM ASDA).
The Multicultural Night allowed members of the GSDM community—including students, faculty and staff—to come together and teach each other about different cultures and traditions. A fusion of Middle Eastern food for the event was provided by the Black Seed Café and Grill. The Multicultural Night featured music, dance, spoken word, fashion and other cultural traditions presented by the 135 members of the GSDM community who attended the event.
“This is the second year I have attended the Multicultural Night event and it just seems to get better and better,” said Neha Mithia DMD 17. “The colorful display of outfits, artistic flavors from around the world, and delicious cuisines, is a testament to the blended culture we are lucky to be a part of at BU.”
The event started off with a compelling spoken word performance from Chair of GSDM ASDA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee Nikkita Muwanguzi DMD 17 and Debbie Desravines DMD 17.
Emcees Wenyu Qu DMD 17 and Nikkita Muwanguzi DMD 17 kept the evening moving with witty jokes and introductions, keeping the audience entertained throughout the night.
A special Multicultural Night video was screened at the event that captured various students, staff, and faculty within the GSDM community speaking about what diversity and inclusion means to them.
Dr. Anita Gohel, Multicultural Night guest speaker, spoke about how diversity and inclusion has impacted her throughout her professional career. Dr. Gohel is an Associate Professor in the Department of General Dentistry and the Director of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.
After Dr. Gohel’s comments several cultural activities took place.
A fashion show allowed GSDM community members to display traditional clothing from all over the world, notably, Africa, West Asia, East Asia, and North America. GSDM students showcased several dances, including a Salsa dance by Caroline Adam DMD 18 and Luis Perez DMD 18; a Persian dance by the Aftab dance group; and an Indian dance by AS 16 students Rutu Patel, Mansi Shah, Vibha Babbar, and Pooja Palasha. There were also two musical performances: a Hindi and English ensemble on guitar by incoming AS 18 student Kushal Zinzuvadia; and a duet on piano by Sarah Kim DMD 18 and Leon Pappas, a student at the Boston University School of Medicine.
The emcees finished off the performance section of the night by getting the audience to come onto the stage to perform the electric slide to an African song. With excitement already in the air, many audience members participated.
The GSDM ASDA event organizers also set up a world map photo booth, a fun fact wall, and a henna tattoo station during the event. The night ended with the winning raffle ticket door prizes being drawn by Dr. Larry Dunham, GSDM Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry.
GSDM ASDA event organizers say that the Multicultural Night would not be possible without all the volunteers and the active participation of the GSDM community. The Multicultural Night is a tradition that the GSDM ASDA Diversity and Inclusion Committee hopes to continue for years.
“I would like to thank all of the GSDM community members who participated in the Multicultural Night,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “GSDM is fortunate to have many different cultures represented on the Medical Campus and specifically the School, and I am delighted that this event allowed members of the GSDM community to share their traditions with each other.”
Photos from the event can be found on Facebook and Flickr.